If you were transported from this world to another almost identical. If you were transported from your life to your teenage self. If you had to restart your life again. Would you, or would you cling to your memories?

He realised his
way of thinking might be dated, but from what he had seen good looks
still helped a lot among the young, so maybe it wasn’t dated after
all.

Beneath him straw
gave as he moved his legs. After two years in Japan he was used to
sitting on the floor now and then, and being a teenager sure helped. Tatami mats. An altogether stupid construction, and yet so strangely
relaxing. Ulf never could decide if he thought it was the epitome of
idiocy or a superb blend of taste and function.

“So, what’s
the occasion?” Ulf asked.

Yukio had
requested that Ulf join him in the room he shared with Kyoko.

“Dinner.”

Strange. After
pulling this one on me I could have sworn Noriko would be adamant
about us two having dinner alone in our room.

“Thank you for
that one at least.”

“Don’t thank
me,” Yukio said. “Noriko insisted.”

Why would she?
Ah! I’m an idiot! Ulf said nothing. From here on he could only
pretend to be surprised at what came next. Birthdays were a lot more
important in Sweden than in Japan. You just didn’t forget them.
Hell, they were even part of your identity with your date of birth
making up most of the personal number everyone living in Sweden was
assigned.

Well, at least
for old people. Once again he wasn’t certain about the young. Living among people who weren’t prone to public outbursts of
affection didn’t help.

Ulf grinned at
the thought of a third of their class suddenly rising from their
seats to spontaneously celebrate some poor bastard by singing happy
birthday to you. Back home a given, but here, maybe not so much.

He recalled
birthdays from his first life, and reliving old memories it took a
while until he noticed Yukio tugging at his shoulder.

“Man, Earth
calling. This earth.”

“Sorry.” Ulf
shook his head. “Noriko huh?”

She had
remembered, and when he thought about it, so had she last year as
well. Whatever he might think about her advances, it still warmed
when someone cared.

“Yeah, Noriko.”

“You’re in on
this one?”

Yukio glared at
him. “Giving her a hand? Sure. She’s not fooling around. Damn,
she had a crush on you before you and Kuri met.”

“Well, she
moved on to Nao...” Ulf regretted the words as he uttered them.

Yukio grimaced,
and they shared a few moments of silence. When it dragged out Yukio
poured two cups of tea and offered Ulf one.

“You know,”
Yukio began after he’d tasted a sip. “did you ever speak with him
afterwards?”

Ulf had, but he
wanted to hear what Yukio had to say. “Same school, so kind of hard
to avoid.”

“Unless you’re
expelled.”

“Unless you’re
expelled,” Ulf agreed.

“Well,
expulsion rescinded. Some of us will return.” Yukio scratched his
head. “Anyway, I had a talk with Nao-sempai.”

“Uhum,” Ulf
said and waited. He drank from his cup to show Yukio that there
wouldn’t be a further response.

“He never slept
with anyone.” Yukio grimaced. “Well, at least not from when he
first saw Noriko and until well after they broke up.”

Break up?
That’s one way of putting it. Ulf felt something akin to
physical pain thinking of how much Noriko had hurt. I know what
happened, but what an awful way to end it. Nao’s a bloody idiot!

“He got
scared,” Yukio continued.

There was a dull,
clack when Yukio placed his empty cup on the table. Almost as if it
accused Ulf of drawing something uncomfortable out when it wasn’t
needed.

“Scared?” By
now Ulf was forced to pretend what Yukio said came as news.

“They play in
different leagues is what he said. Sure, he’s a big name now, but
when his looks fade Noriko will still be brilliant.”

Nao hadn’t
phrased it exactly that way when Ulf spoke with him. The words Yukio
echoed were Ulf’s. Ulf’s way of helping the tall model to
understand his own fears.

“Well, she’s
bright alright,” Ulf said. Understatement of the year. She is
brilliant. I think I’m so smart, but bloody hell I envy her her
brains! Ulf knew he had reasons to be proud of his head. He had a
superb intellect, and he was aware of it. He was easily bright enough
to grasp just how far ahead of him Noriko was, even if she
still needed to grow into her own capacity as an adult.

Which meant she
knew something he didn’t, or otherwise she would have given up on
making him her boyfriend a long time ago. If she played both body and
brains, then her actions and plans made more sense. Cause damn
that brain of hers was sexy as hell.

But did she
really understand him that well? Her social register was a little
shaky. Empathy, not brains was his real strength. Well, unless he got
stubborn and shut everything down and turned inwards in a blindness
so total it was staggering.

Wednesday, 18 April 2018

When Noriko
entered her room she grinned as she met Urufu’s surprised stare?

“Sorry, but
you’re next door.”

She shook her
head. “Yukio and Kyoko,” she said.

Noriko sat down,
removed her shoes and placed them by the slippers put there by the
ryokan staff.

“Huh?”

“You didn’t
really expect them to waste this night together?” At least this
part wasn’t part of the sham. She’d seen the chagrin in Kyoko’s
face when it was clear boys and girls slept separately in the resort
where they spent the bulk of the two weeks before the autumn
trimester began.

Urufu looked like
he was about to protest, but then he threw a glance a the wall to the
next room and closed his mouth.

In difference
from the resort this ryokan didn’t have a family bath, but instead
rooms had its own small open air bath each. The onsen proper was
gender separated as was usual. Pricey, and a gift to Yukio and Kyoko
decided upon since before they even left Tokyo. Hers and Urufu’s
addition made Noriko feel a little awkward. He could afford it, but
it was very expensive, and she hadn’t decided how to handle that
part.

“Bath and then
dinner?” Noriko suggested. She made an effort not to look at their
private bath.

Urufu grimaced.
“Sure. I’ll head over to Yukio and make him company downstairs.”

Noriko didn’t
say anything. The open relief at getting away from the situation was
all too clear in Urufu’s face. It was also, she decided, rather
rude to her, but in all honesty he’d had the entire situation
forced in him.

She looked at
Urufu’s back as he quickly changed into a yukata, stepped into his
slippers and vanished out the door. He didn’t seem all too
disturbed undressing in front of her, but then she had seen him in
the flesh last summer. Something about being Swedish and older Noriko
guessed.

A few minutes
later she followed suit and left to fetch Kyoko, which didn’t take
long at all since she already stood waiting in the corridor.

“Well?”

“Well what?”
Noriko replied and avoided answering the question.

“How did he
take it? Angry?”

A direct assault
like this couldn’t be avoided. Noriko gave the questions a thought.
Had he really been angry? “No, not angry,” she said. What had
there been in his eyes? “Surprised.” That wasn’t it. Helpless!
“He caved in,” Noriko said. She didn’t like the memory of equal
parts disappointment and resignation in Urufu’s face.

“Noriko?”

Two things
registered in Noriko’s mind. First the worry in Kyoko’s voice,
and second how quickly the rest of the gang had dropped any
honorifics after Noriko decided to discard them. Which means there’s
one less thing that makes me more uniquely close to Urufu.

“He didn’t
look happy about it, but he wasn’t really angry either.” Telling
Kyoko the truth was out of the question. She was the best friend one
could possibly have, and so was Yukio. If they suspected the real
reason for Urufu’s reaction both of them would insist on switching
rooms.

Noriko hoped
Kyoko believed Urufu was a little more selfish than he really was. Awkward and unhappy was better than giving up so that Yukio and Kyoko
wouldn’t lose their only night alone together.

“You sure
you’re fine with this?”

Noriko nodded.
Then she laughed. “Nothing will happen,” she said. “I just want
him to notice me.” And to think
about what could have
happened, she added silently. To think lots and lots about it.
Thinking about him thinking about her made her think about what she
wanted him to think about. In an instant Noriko felt her face flare
read.

“Noriko?”

“Nothing,”
she spluttered.

“Noriko?”

“Nothing!”

“Something.”

That was taking
the inquisitive joke a little too far. “Look, I don’t...”

“Have you
brought a present?”

“Apart from me
wrapped in ribbons?” Noriko blurted out.

Raised eyebrows
was the only answer that question got.

“I have,”
Noriko admitted when it was clear Kyoko refused to comment the
outburst. “Nothing fancy.”

Kyoko descended
down the stairs to the communal baths. A floor down she turned and
looked Noriko directly in her eyes. “Coming from you it doesn’t
have to mean much. Nothing fancy for a high schooler or nothing fancy
for you?”

That was unfair.
Noriko knew her parents were well off, and maybe her present was a
little on the expensive side of what an average student would pick.
At least for a friend.

“Nothing
extravagant,” she admitted. “Less than a shift.”

Kyoko tilted her
head. “A shift?” Then her eyes lit up. “A normal one or one of
Urufu’s full day monstrosities?”

“A normal one.”
Noriko didn’t have to lie about that. Something told her Urufu’s
feelings couldn’t be bought for money. A year ago a more cynical
version of herself would have asked what currency to use instead. Now
she knew the answer to that question, and for that very reason she
had no need to play jaded.

“Left or
right?”

She looked up.
They had arrived at the entrance to the baths. “Your pick,”
Noriko said and followed Kyoko inside.

As onsens went
this one apparently took pride in displaying signs of luxury, but
that was expected given the price tag attached. For Noriko it wasn’t
really anything new, but Kyoko was surprisingly unperturbed as well.

They undressed
and chatting about nothing Noriko and Kyoko went into the bath.

Steam rose from
the pool and she saw the doors leading to the outdoors section.

This is the
normal part. Later comes the not so normal. But what counted as
not normal with Urufu? He really didn’t do normal. As if he simply
didn’t care. Age, maybe it came with age.

Wednesday, 11 April 2018

Urufu was a born
leader. At least that was what Yukio had once believed. Now he
suspected that was too simple an explanation. Grown into a leader
during longs years of adulthood was more likely.

“You know,
about Urufu,” Yukio started as they stood in the cramped ryokan
reception.

Like most non
tourists he would have preferred a western style hotel, but Urufu
paid, and Urufu preferred the old fashioned futon, hard and
uncomfortable as it was. Or at least he said he did.

Kyoko met Yukio’s
stare and smiled. He saw how she knew what he was going to say, but
out of respect she didn’t interrupt him this time, and he loved her
all the more for it.

“He’s rather
socially awkward for being, well...”

“Uhum,” Kyoko
said.

“You know, for
being Urufu.”

Kyoko’s smiled
widened into a grin.

“He’s a
little, how should I put it, disjointed,” Yukio tried.

Black hair
swirled around her face as she tilted her head backwards and nodded.
She had let it grow since winter.

She let her
tongue play over her lips and gave him an encouraging smile. He took
the opportunity and stole a short kiss.

“You noticed as
well?” she said after they separated.

He nodded.
“Partly, I think, because I’m growing up.”

“We’re
getting older. A year now.”

They were. A year
older together. Together. He tasted the word in his mind and
decided he liked it very much. He liked most everything with Kyoko.

As he glanced
past her face he saw Noriko and Urufu carrying what little luggage
they had from the taxi and up the stairs. Yukio booked the rooms, but
it was still Urufu’s money. Or at least Yukio pretended he booked
the extra room, because both rooms were booked since yesterday.

How Urufu
believed that Kyoko suddenly ‘discovered’ a typhoon was about to
hit Ise early evening was beyond Yukio. In difference from manga you
didn’t get caught by surprise since all typhoons were announced
days in advance. Well, unless you were Urufu and blithely ignored
watching weather reports in August, which bordered on idiocy if you
lived in Japan.

Yukio made
certain Urufu and Noriko vanished up the stairs. “Disjointed from
reality,” he said and continued his earlier line of thought.

“Sometimes,
only sometimes,” Kyoko said. “Sometimes he really does pay
attention. Like whenever someone feels hurt or is in need.”

“Sometimes,
huh. Unless he’s involved himself. Then he turns blind.”

Kyoko’s smile
turned into a smirk. “Kuri-chan is my best friend, but she’s
still an idiot.”

“Urufu’s
mine, and he’s a moron as well,” Yukio agreed.

“I’m going to
root for Noriko. It doesn’t matter that Kuri-chan is my most
important friend. I’m sick and tired of watching those two hurt
each other.”

Yukio didn’t
say anything. Instead he nodded, by now secure Kyoko read him
correctly agreeing with her from his expression.

“You think
she’ll fall in love with Ryu?” Because that would pretty much
solve everything by ending the entire situation.

“I think she
already has. At least a little,” Kyoko said. “Ryu’s not the
school prince for nothing, and I think he has the kind of personality
Kuri-chan needs now.”

Yukio took
Kyoko’s hand and nudged her in the direction of the stairs.

Two rooms rather
than the one large one Urufu wanted. There weren’t any large rooms
free. A lie and a truth. Yesterday there had been, when Yukio booked
two rooms. No longer though. Not with the typhoon inbound and train
services down for security reasons.

Ise was a hotspot
for tourists from all over the world. Tourists, in difference from
Urufu, didn’t live in Japan. Quite a few of them had been caught
off guard, just like Kuri’s grandfather had told them would happen
when the three of them planned the deception.

He was, just as
Yukio and Kyoko, dead tired of watching Urufu tearing apart his
granddaughter’s heart, with her pouring petrol on the flames to
make absolutely certain whatever they once shared burned to cinders.

And yet they both
failed. Even an idiot when it came to romance like Yukio could see
that. Every glance Urufu shot her, every time Yukio caught her
staring after Urufu’s back, every time the two of them exchanged
words, or looks, or smiles. Every damn time the love they felt for
each other shone through enough to blind everyone around them.

It was painful to
watch. It was also obvious enough for anyone to suspect that Kuri and
Ryu being an item was a scam. It was, both Yukio and Kyoko had
decided, time for their best friends to move on. It didn’t matter
if that love couldn’t be entirely quenched. As it was now they were
ripping each other apart.

So Noriko got
enlisted, and rather unsurprisingly she giddily agreed to play the
victim. Anything to haul Urufu in.

“She’s the
best part of the two of them,” Kyoko suddenly said halfway up the
stairs.

Yukio stared at
her back. Mind reader! He didn’t care. If Kyoko read his
mind or just guessed. As long as she was right it was fine. “I hope
she knows what she’s heading into.”

“She does.
That’s what makes Noriko the best of them.”

Them.
Urufu and Kuri. It was a shame that Noriko should be the best for the
both of them.

“I hope Ryu
makes the best of the opportunity,” Yukio said.

Because, just
like Urufu had been duped to stay the night with Noriko, Ryu and Kuri
were alone back at the resort, and her grandfather made just as
certain he behaved like the idiot Urufu was, and got caught in Nagoya
with no way to head south to the resort.

In other words
transparent enough for anyone with at least a partially working brain
to see through.

But then you
could always trust Urufu and Kuri to lack even that much when it came
to understand these things.